Method of and means for the manufacturing of helically grooved endless hose and tubing



. KOPE a s m .w 3 U/ um N wm J N 5 N V fi 4 J TZ HOD OF AND MEANS FORTHE MANUFACTURING OF LICALLY GBOOVED ENDLESS HOSE AND TUBIN Filed 001';- 30, 1931 2 May 28, 1935.

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KOPETZ METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 28, 1935. J.

HELICALLY GROOVED ENDLESS HOSE AND TUBING Flled Oct :50, 1931 Patented May1935 UNITED. STATES- METHOD, or AND MEANS For. The mm;-

momma or HELICALLY oaoovan ENDLESS nose- AND roams Jose! Kopetz, Vienna, Austria Applicatiiilr: gctober 30, 193i. Serial No. man 1 ustria" November 10, 1930 (Claims (or. ssso) I Y .I have flled applications in Austria, November a passage of annular cross section preferably 10, 1930 and October 10, 1931.

This invention relates to a niethod of and meansfor thef manufacturing of helically grooved endless hose or tubing, and has for its object to effect improvements in and a' cheapening both of the method of production hitherto adopted and of the final product. i The method hitherto adopted for producing helically grooved hose or tubing from flexible material is as follows. A helically grooved and rotating mandrel is wound or wrapped with the material used and thenscrewed through a nut which presses the tubular envelope or casing 5 into the grooves of the mandrel. By this process tubing can only be manufactured piece by piece, since, after the completion or a length,

the plant must .be brought to a' standstill and the tubing unscrewed fromjthe .mandrel. But

apart from this inconvenience it is impossibleto produce long tubing by this method, since it would be necessary to retain the entire length of tubing already flnished in constant rotation.

, The present invention obviates these draw-r g5 backs, and enablesflexible-tubing to be produced with or without reiniorcement' in any desired length, continuously and without reversing the direction of rotation of the mandrel'whereon the tubing is formed. Further, the new method.

enables tubing to be made with a smooth outer and inner surface, and or greater strength than any-tubing oi. a similar nature. yet produced.

The new method according to the present invention consist essentially in employing a sta:

tionary mandrel and rolls' 0! the material for the tubing adapted to revolve about the. mandrel, wrapping the material from these rolls .manufacturing process which consists in com.-

pressing or crowding the turns'produced by the said threaded socket and spindle, so that the helical grooves appear finally only as'flne joints. In this manner the tubingis made more resistant to pressure while retaining its flexibility.

ribbons 62, e. .g. of paper,- derived from revolving supply rolls, so that's tube 83 is formed on 'disposedinpairs oi.

The together of the spiral turns of the is eflected by ioroing the latter through j "formed between a slotted spring ring an'dan inserted sleeve, so that the locking of the tube against rotation is thereby also eflfected.

Figure 1 illustrates a vertical longitudinal detail section through'the head portion of a form of machine for making un-reiniorced flexible tubing in accordance with this invention.

. Figure 2 illustrates asectionon' the line 11-11 ofFigurel. 2;: =7

Fig. 3 illustrates a complete view. partly in side elevation and. partly in iyertical' axial sec tion; or a machine for un-reinforced flexible tubing with-smooth outside and inside surfaces;

Figure 4 illustrates an enlarged detail longitudinal section of the head portion of, the'ma-- chine shown in Figure 3. j Fig. 5 illustrates a section taken on the line III-HI of Fig. 4 the o ter sleeve being omitted.

Fig. 6 is. a section owing a modiflcation of the rings shown in Fig. 7 is a detail showing the roll supporting levers used herewith, the view being taken on thelineVII---VIIoIFlg-.3.

Fig. 8 is a long'itudinal brok'ensectionof the wall of the tubing shown in Fig. 4 on an enlarged scale. I g I Referring to Figs. l and'2, there is rotatably mounted within the hollow stationaryv mandrel 3 a spindle I which is provided'at an end pro jecting' from the hollow mandrel with a thread-" 4 qed extension I, the outside diameter of which is the same asthat o! the mandrel. threaded-portion is encased bya nut ll|,- concentrically spaced-from the mandrel, which nut is adapted to be'driven in the same direction and at the same speedas' the spindle I. "Ifhe mandrel 3 is wound with vove'rlappingstrips or the mandrel I,-which tube is held against rota- .tionby means of clamping rollers 64." The clamping rollers-are rotatable about bolts 65 v a 81 at right angles to thenxis oi the ma 1 and embrace the tube almost completely. The arms are pressedtoward each other by means of springs 68. 1 v

The-mode of operation or this device is as I 1ollows:' After the'iormation of a short length of tube from the-ribbon-shaped material and the introdriction or the same between the-threaded socket 1. and plug I, these, latter are caused to rotate. Since the tube it is prevented 1mm 66 turning on the mandrel 3 by the clamping roll- In the framework I of-the machine there is fixedly mounted in a bearing 2- the mandrel 3 within which the spindle I is adapted to be rotatable on ball bearings, and to be driven from a shaft 4 through chain sprocket wheels 5 and 6. This spindle is provided on'an end projecting from the mandrel with -a collar 8 having a threaded portion 9 encased as before described by a nut I (Fig. 4). The threading of these two last-mentioned elements is a widely spaced helix, and the helix of one element is axially displaced with respect "to the helix of the other element to the extent of half the pitch, as shown in Fig. 4. The nut member is attached to a tube H which runs on balls in the bearing 12 of the framework of the machine,

and is provided at its end with a chain sprocket wheel 6 which is driven through a chain and the chain sprocket wheel from the shaft 4. By means of two straps l3 there is attached to the casing of the bearing 12 a collar 14 in which- 7 there is a tube l5 firmly inserted which extends up to the nut ID, andis there adapted to hold I by means of a shouldered enlargement or recess.

two slotted spring rings I6 (Figs. 4 and -5) About the collar 8 there is arranged with slight clearance a sleeve I! which is supported by a .thrust bearing l8 which in its turn bears against a long collar l9 on the spindle l. The annular WhlCh s kept under the action of a sprmgrcan space between the spring ring l5 and the sleeve- 11 is so dimensioned that it just permits of the passage therethrough of the spirally crimped tube emergingfrom'between the threaded plug 9 and nut I0. Y

- On the mandrel 3 there is rotatably mounted a disc 20 which is driven from the shaft 4 through chain sprocket wheels 2| and 22, and carries uniformly distributed supply rolls 23 for the ribbon-shaped material 62. Each of the rolls 2 3 is mounted onan arm 24 which is rotatable about a pin 25 on a lever 21 which is capable of rocking about a screwspindle 26. This spindle 26 is mounted in bearings'on the disc 20. The axles of articulation 25, 26 thus form a cross joint. The lever 21 is provided at its free end with a slotted guide 28 (Fig. '7) into which a threaded bolt29 is fitted and screwed into the disc 20. The position of the lever 21,

.troduction of the same between the threaded members 9 and ID, the shaft 4 is rotated whereupon -the tube is drawn from the mandrel 3 and imparted with the gently spiral shape shown inv longitudinal section between the members 9 and in in Fig. 4. The-tubing thus shaped passes directly into the annular space between the rings i6 and the sleeve I! in which its forward movement ischecked by friction, with the result that the spiral turns produced by the members 9 and it are compressed or crowded uptogether until nothing more. remains visible thereof except a fine spiral joint on the inner and outer surfaces (see the enlarged view'shown in Fig. 8). The gripping of the tube between the parts I6 and I1 prevents the rotation thereof bythe turning threaded members 9, ID. The tubing can be made smooth or with longitudinal grooves. the type, shown in Fig. 6 is employed. The setting or adjustment of the supply rolls for the strip material can be varied at will, according to need.

The mandrel 3 is especially shaped \as to its outer periphery (see cross-section in Fig. 2). As will be seen, in this instance the entire periphry of the mandrel is longitudinally grooved, which has the effect of reducing the friction set up by the withdrawal of" the tube and of increasing resistance to turning.

Hose and tubing can be manufactured by the described process in practically unlimited lengths, and of such flexibility and strength that it can be used for a very great variety of purposes, i; e. for pipe lines of all kinds and as insulation covering for electric mains and cables.

I claim: i

1. Apparatus for the purpose set forth including a frame supporting a fixed hollow mandrel, a spindle rotatably mounted within "the said mandreL'a threaded plug on the end of said spindle immediately in'front of the free end of the said hollow mandrel, an internally threaded member mounted in the said framework and spaced continuously about the said plug, means for rotating the said spindle, plug, and internally threaded member in the same direction and at the same speed, means forirevolving rolls of ribbon-shaped material in ribbon form about the said hollow mandrel so that a tube of the said material is formed upon the outside of the said hollow mandrel, and a set of clamping rollers adapted to press against the said tube and to'prevent the same from rotating upon the said hollow mandrel.

For the'latter purpose the ring N5 of 2. The method of manufacturing tubing which consists in winding flexible ribbon-like mateing a frame supporting a fixed hollow mandrel,

a spindle rotatably mounted within the said mandrel, a threaded plug .on the end of said spindle immediately'in front of the free end of the said hollow mandrel, an internaily threadedmembenmounted in the said framework and spaced concentrically about the said plug,means for rotating the said spindle, plug, 'and internally threaded member in the same direction and at the same: speed, means for revolving 'rolls of ribbon-shaped material in ribbon form about the said hollow mandrel so that a tube of "the said material is formed upon the outside of the said hollow mandrel, a set'of, clamping rollers adapted to press against the saidtube and to preventthe same from rotating upon the said over the formed tube, a sleeve spaced concentrically within the ring, and means to maintain the ring and sleeve stationary and in fixed relation to each other.

4. Apparatus for the purpose set forth including "a frame supporting a fixed hollow mandrel, a spindle rotatably mounted within the said mandrel, a. threaded plug on the end of saidspindle immediately in front of the free end of the said hollow mandrel, an internally threaded member mounted in the said framework and spaced concentrically about the said plug, means for rotating the said spindle, plug, and internally threaded member in the same direction and at the same speed, means for revolving rolls of ribbon-shaped material in ribbon" form about the said hollow-mandrel so that a tube of the said material is formed upon the out side of the said hollow mandrel, a set of clamping'rollers adapted to press against the said tube and to prevent the same from rotating upon the said hollow mandrel, a slotted spring ring at the forward end of the plug and arranged to fit over the formed tube, a sleeve spaced concentrically within the ring, and means to maintain the ring and sleeve stationary and in fixed'i'elatlon to each other, said slotted ring '-having its inner face longitudinally grooved whereby alternate ribs and grooves are formed on the tube.

5. Apparatus for the purpose set forth including a frame supporting a fixed hollow mandrel, a spindle rotatably mounted within the said mandrel, a threaded plug on the end ofsaid spindle immediately in front of'thefree end of the said hollow mandrel, an internally threaded member mounted in the said framework and spaced concentrically about the said plug, means for rotating the said spindle, plug, and internally threaded member in the same direction and at the same speed, supp rolls for winding multaneously. draw the primary tube oi! the' mandrel andform a helical, corrugation therein, and means forward of thelast mentioned means to compress the corrugated -portion of the tube longitudinally.

7. In a tube forming machine, a fixed mandrel,

means for winding ribbon-lik ematerial m spiral convolutions on. the mandrel with the edges of the convolutions overlapping wherebyto form a primary cylindrical tube, means to hold the tube against rotation on the mandrel, revolving means at the forward end'of the mandrel to simultaneously draw the primary tube off the mandrel and foi-m a helical corrugation therein, and male and female tube engaging friction members at the forward end of the last mentioned means and spaced to provide an annular slot through which the tube is fed by said last mentioned means. 

